


Lesson One: Donuts

by healmycorruption



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Donuts, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 09:19:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9432452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/healmycorruption/pseuds/healmycorruption
Summary: Steven introduces recently-reformed and healed Jasper to Connie.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A commission for konfuse as a gift to mon-qi as part of my Fics for Donations series. For more info on that, go here: http://healmycorruption.tumblr.com/post/156057011789/super-desperate-fic-commission-time

The Big Donut didn't really seem big enough for Jasper, but Steven had insisted they go there anyway. She was leaning against a wall, arms crossed, trying to look much cooler than she felt while Steven talked excitedly to the human girl behind the counter. Jasper caught the human girl gazing at her in wonder and she winked, reducing her to a flustered mess and causing her to drop several pastries. Humans were weak, but she had to admit they had their charms.

After a few minutes, Steven said his goodbyes and led her out with his arms stuffed full of bags of sweets. “I didn't know how much to get, but I grabbed extra in case you love donuts as much as Amethyst does.”

Jasper nodded and they made their way to a small park with some benches where they meeting Steven’s friend Connie. Her memories were a bit blurry when it came to the time period after she was trapped in Malachite until her corruption. Maybe it was a side effect of the corruption, or perhaps she was simply trying to block it out. Steven swore she had met Connie twice, and that he and Connie had fused to fight her, but she didn't recall the individual girl so much as the fusion that took her down. She swallowed down the bitterness that crept into her. Things were different now.

A small human girl ran excitedly up to them and flung her arms around Steven, making him drop a donut and laugh. “It's so good to see you! Wow, that's a lot of donuts.”

“Jasper, this is Connie! Connie, you remember Jasper,” Steven said cheerfully, dumping all the bags of donuts on a bench. Connie approached Jasper fearlessly and held out a hand. Jasper gently smacked it by way of the human high five that Amethyst had taught her, making Connie laugh.

“It's nice to see you're doing well, Jasper! Steven has told me so much about you,” she said, eyes alight with excitement.

“Uh, thank you?” Jasper didn't know what to say or how to react. She wasn't used to humans warming up to her immediately. Perhaps because this one had bested her while fused? She didn't know how to take that. “Steven has informed me you're very powerful and agile for a young human.”

“Aw, it's been a lot of training to get to that point! I'd love to train with you some time, if you'd have me,” Connie said. Jasper was taken aback by the idea and couldn't stop a laugh from rumbling forth. What an absurd notion, training a creature so small and fragile. Connie didn't seem deterred by Jasper's reaction.

“I might snap you in half on accident,” Jasper said, chuckling.

“Ha! Not as easily as you might think!” Connie said proudly.

“I can't eat all these alone you guys,” Steven called, and Connie ran over, flopped down on the bench and grabbed a pastry. Jasper moved over to the pile of sweets, picked up a donut and popped it in her mouth. The flavor was nothing but sugary sweetness, but she loved it. She sat on the ground facing the pile, legs crossed, and proceeded to shove five donuts in her mouth at once.

“I wish I could fit five in my mouth at once,” Connie commented, enjoying her donut one bite at a time.

“Maybe one day, if you train hard,” Jasper suggested, licking sugary glaze from her fingers.

“Maybe one day I can fight huge monsters with my fists alone like you did in the mountains that one time,” Connie said with a giggle.

“Did wha…?” Jasper had no idea what Connie was talking about.

“She doesn't remember much, Connie,” Steven piped up after finishing a big pastry. “Back before you corrupted, we ran into you in the mountains. You were collecting corruptions for your army and you took one down in front of us.”

“It was incredible! You saved my life,” Connie said with a warm smile.

“That doesn't sound like me,” Jasper said, feeling a weird, unexplainable sadness pulling at her.

“I don't think you intended to, but you did,” said Steven, “The corruption was about to pounce on Connie and do some real damage when you came out of nowhere and tackled it, beat it up and poofed it.”

“You probably could have taken us too, we weren't prepared at all. But you just walked away,” Connie finished. Jasper let that information stew in her mind for a few moments, mindlessly eating a few more donuts. At least she had done _one_ good thing during that awful time, even if it was unintentional. Steven brought his hand to her arm and she realized she had begun to cry. She cleared her throat and fiercely wiped her eyes.

“You were hurting and lost, Jasper, and you thought you were doing the right thing. None of us hold it against you,” he said. Jasper nodded, holding out an arm and he lept forward to wrap his arms around her. She had really grown fond of certain human traditions, and hugs were no exception.

“May I hug you too?” Connie asked politely and Jasper held out her other arm and allowed Connie in, hugging both of them tight. It felt good, letting someone close to her in this way. They broke off and Jasper felt a bit better.

“Ready for your first lesson?” She said, grabbing a fistful of pastries. “You just grab ‘em like so, open wide, and stuff ‘em in.”

Steven and Connie laughed together, stuffing donuts in their mouths and making a disgusting mess. She followed suit and laughed as well, glad to have such strange but wonderful friends to enjoy. Jasper admired the bulging muscles in Connie’s seemingly slight form, and Connie filled her in on all the training and fights she had taken part in. Humans were certainly interesting and diverse. The more Connie spoke, the stronger her need to protect this one became. She would train her, she decided. If the need arose, she’d fight to protect her as well. Her new purpose had been decided; Protect the Earth, her home, and all life within it. In the meantime, eat as many donuts as possible.


End file.
